John Carter Cash is an American Country music-singer, author, songwriter and producer. In case you don't know, John Carter Cash is the son of Johnny Cash and June Carter. He has more than his share of country and folk Grammys for his production work on his father's and mother's albums, and while you couldn't imagine a finer country music pedigree, you'd better look elsewhere if you're expecting this to be a traditional country album. On The Family Secret, pop music predominates with side trips into metal and dark cabaret balladry. The title track, "The Family Secret," has nothing to do with his dad's tribulations. It's a hard rocker about the son of a wolfman, delivered by a rip-snortin' two-guitar, bass, and drums rock band. "Uncle Sam Is Dead" is a slow metallic protest ballad that features Tony Narell on the big Hammond B-3 and screaming lead guitar supporting Carter Cash's growling vocal. A cover of Loudon Wainwright's "Swimming Song" sounds like a contemporary country track combining pop/rock, banjo, and an insouciant vocal. "No One Here Gets Out of Here Alive" takes its title from a paraphrase of a Jim Morrison lyric. It's not a rocker, but a country-pop meditation on mortality with Narell's B-3 providing the expected sanctified feel. Country done Carter Cash style shines through on "If God Made Anything Better Than a Woman," a sentimental honky tonk tune featuring soulful pedal steel, and "Unforgettable Dance," a soaring ode to true love that features a Carter Cash vocal marked by understated passion. The album closes with a hidden track, a cover of Blue Öyster Cult's "Godzilla" presented as a piano lounge ballad. It doesn't quite work, but it shows off Carter Cash's inclination to take risks. Carter Cash isn't the singer his father was, but his gruff vocals carry a force of personality that makes his singing compelling, and with his ability to turn in credible songs in a multitude of styles, he seems destined for a long, varied career. - allmusic.com

TRACKS: 01. Swimming Song 02. Cab Casket 03. Shadows Cross The Seine 04. The Family Secret 05. Love By Any Other Name 06. Like As Is 07. The Last Thing On My Mind 08. Santa Monica 09. No One Gets Out Of Here Alive 10. Uncle Sam Is Dead 11. If God made Anything Better Than A Woman 12. Unforgettable Dance 13. The Man Who Dreams Aloud 14. Cab Casket (Slight Reprise) 15. Killarney

DISCLAIMER:The music found through this blog is intended for review purposes and should not be seen as a substitute for the original, legal, RIAA approved, record company enriching product. Please note that songs are available for VERY short amount of time. And if you like the music BUY IT. Please support the artists and buy as much as you can directly from them and cut out the middle man.